A bootcamp to empower women entrepreneurs
To PUSH for women-led startups, MaGiC (Malaysian Global innovation & Creativity Centre) has kicked off a pre-accelerator bootcamp specifically for women founders.
The programme – PreAccelerator Bootcamp: Female Founders edition – aims to help women entrepreneurs validate their business ideas, develop working prototypes, and create focused go-to-market strategies.
during the two-week bootcamp, participants will get mentorship from key industry players and insights from Malaysia’s leading female entrepreneurs, and a chance to pitch for their startups during the demo day.
MaGiC chief executive office Ashran Ghazi said women are often under represented among the entrepreneur population so MaGiC seeks to empower women within the ecosystem and provide them with a platform to turn their ideas into reality.
“To address the gender gap, we need to ensure that we understand the specific challenges which exist for women and that in trying to overcome these challenges we are doing our best to open up market access and provide more targeted support for women,” he said.
According to the SMe Association of Malaysia, despite growing numbers of women entrepreneurs, they still only account for about 20% of registered SMes (small to medium enterprises).
Ashran said female entrepreneurs are often unable to realise their true potential due to issues like societal perception, lack of equal opportunities and receiving smaller funds.
The bootcamp is open to women founders from Malaysia and South-east Asia. The deadline is May 21 and only 25 participants will be shortlisted for the bootcamp, of which only 15 will qualify for the demo day. The successful candidates will be announced in mid-June.
The winner of the demo day will receive a company incorporation package, post-programme mentoring sessions and access to MaGiC’s co-working space at its campus for three months.
Free accommodation will be provided to all participants during the two-week programme. For more info, visit bit.ly/2ri9Zer.